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Natural Hair Feature: Alberta on "Relaxed Hair Nazis"

Friday, June 14, 2013

Hey Kurlies, today we would like to introduce you to the lovely Alberta, a proud natural who has a tale to tell about her experience with going natural in Kenya... It's an interesting read, so dive right in!

Natural hair is still weird in Kenya. When I got the
big chop, everyone around me was super shocked. I was nervous too but it was
more than a change of hairstyle for me. I had spent over KES 12,000 on salon
visits in 2012, KES 4000 on two tricologist appointments and easily KES 10,000
plus on MSM, Biotin and Silica supplements (that were fantastic on my nails but
worthless for my attempt at trying to maintain the kind of damage I had),
avocado oil, almond oil, mustard oil, the entire motions hair care line, Suave,
Tresemme- I was tired!!!!!

August Hair

I look back and cringe at the kind of money I spent
on 8 inches of hair (my 7 year retention 4” of which were splits). As a college
student by that time, there was no way I could continue to justify that kind of
extravagance. I wanted to save my money and move on (When your hairdresser
calls you every three days to remind you of an appointment - you are clearly
throwing money away).

My journey in the world of natural prejudice begun
the day I cut off all that relaxer. I
walked out of the barber chair with my cute dress, top fade and button earrings
to the frantic yells of the salon girls next door that I should get a ‘curly kit’ and a color
treatment and that natural hair did not look well on me. I looked at them and it hit me that I had
never ever seen my hairdressers’ hair - except under weave and here she was
trying to bully me into a style she wanted to sell me.

Big Chop

My boyfriend hated it so I gave him the relaxed hair
I had saved from the barbers in a nice polythene bag and told him to keep it.
He never mentioned my hair again for a year after my big chop- until he started
to love it.

I was glad I had cut it then. Money was tight. My
grandma had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and she was frequently on
diapers and drugged up. My natural hair gave me more time to spend with her on
her last days without resenting or worrying about already broken hair. I could
hold her and sit by her and feed her and for some strange reason with relaxed
hair, I would have stolen some of those moments to waste away at the salon.

Well, I was going to be the recipient of many, and I
mean constant, numerous; crappy, mean comments from often relaxed women about
the look and state of my natural hair. I was going to have random hands shoved
into my head (a habit/ culture I notice now that I am relaxed); women wondering
out loud about why I don’t relax my hair and if my decision to not relax is
financial; a woman with traction alopecia and broken ends lectured me once on
'lady like hair' or when a dreadlocked lady came to tell me that my roll and
tucks and my twists were unappealing and tried to bully me into locks or a
relaxer at the age of 22 no less....well...the bad manners persists- like on my
grand ma's funeral ...I’m upset and everything when this grown woman starts to
grill me on why my afro isn't perfectly spherical- and all I could think was
“Have I been Naswad?” Clearly I was mourning and this strange woman had the
gall to ask me what is I would do to my hair for the funeral and go further to
recommend a salon. I was stunned.

I get so frustrated when African women act as if
natural hair, shrinkage, multiple textures and kinks is alien to them and yet
unlike in America, almost every Kenyan woman has been natural at some prolonged
point in time like in primary school or in high school so I can’t begin to
understand how an honest woman would try to punk me into an impression-that she
was born with a relaxer. How do you try to reconcile that someone would imagine
especially at this age that one is obliged to explain their natural tresses in
response to ignorant or clearly rude questions that only little kids may ask.

From the Big Chop up to a Year

I get that natural Nazis exist but relaxed Nazis are
the mainstream here and they drive me crazy with abject misery. Imagine me at a
salon screaming "Get a grip! It’s free and you should be going green (in
reference to natural hair and the act of relaxing). How dare you pollute my
environment you jerk! Do you want to have cancer? And if they proceed with the
relaxer session, suppose I shouted I hope you do get abundant fibroids or perhaps poly-cystic ovarian syndrome.”

I’d probably be lynched for sure. So for now, let me
join the tired ranks of the ‘maids’ (stereotype), broke folks (I'm not going to
be spending that kind of money on hair) and the cool, brave eclectics and
natural hair enthusiasts and say... “When you see my hair, don’t touch and if
you don’t have anything positive to say…Well, ain’t nobody got time for that boo”

From me. Alberta, Thank you.”

Special thanks to Alberta. You are the picture of natural beauty with your proud mane...

What do you think ladies, have you gone through similar experiences? Let us know in the comment section below.

Would you like to share your natural hair journey, horror stories, musings or frustrations!? Email us at kurlykichana@gmail.com, we'd love to hear your story.

She looks really cool with her fro!!!I get a lot of responses when I'm wearing my hair out...some good some not-so-good...can you actually believe this girl came right on to me and asked in a not so friendly manner ...'Ni stima zilipotea ama ni pesa huna za blowdry?'I wanted to give her a not so good response to her question...but I looked at her and saw her hair...and I just gave her a smile and walked away:)Oh yeah apparently I look kiddish when I bun my hair!

this act is the kind i would compare with getting a tatoo on your face, you really have to be committed!!, otherwise if you change your mind 1, 2 years down the line to going artificial again, i guess this would be hogwash, clearly your intentions would be that of financial problems rather than appreciating beauty like the one and only, true African beauty...Ajuma. Well, i am not so sure you in for that kind of lifestyle. anyway, men always appreciate a confident, natural looking woman, besides its what you wake up to every morning

You have great hair, Alberta. I also commend you for being so selfless and spending time with your Grandma. Not many can give themselves like that. I hear you about the hair Nazis. The worst for me are the salons that say they don't deal with natural hair, except to relax it. And we're in Africa... Or the ones who complain as they do your hair and announce to all that you don't comb it. And I sent her all those videos of me combing my hair?

12k on hair sounded like a big amount, but I remember in 2006 a lady paying 6k for a single visit of her twice a month maintenance on perm......well 2006 was last time I was in a saloon. Congratulations on your being you! Rock that afro girl!

This was interesting for sure. Very sorry for your loss Alberta. I hope you find comfort in the memories you have of your grandmother. And wow, I had no idea one could spend so much money on products and supplements for hair!. The saddest thing about this story is that so many women still think there is something so inherently wrong with their own hair. Also Alberta you are a very good story teller, the boyfriend part is quite funny...:). Thanks for sharing!

I'm natural and Kenyan. When I went back home it was interesting but no negativity. I can't do an Afro due to hair length but people don't understand it and even offer relaxing. However my cousin marveled about my hair texture.